An Inclusive Approach to Behaviour

This blog is based on Judicium’s Safeguarding ‘Sofa Session’ from the 26th March with our resident expert Rik Chilvers.

What is inclusion?

Inclusion is about creating an environment where all children feel psychologically safe and connected. In many schools, we see this happening through a shared understanding and vision of staff at all levels to remove barriers to learning and contributing to the shared community. Staff recognise that it is the system that disadvantages learners, not that the learners themselves are disadvantaged. Staff recognise that building relationships and creating a sense of belonging are key to unlocking good progress and attainment.

That's a nice theory but the theory and practice of inclusion are often very different.

What is behaviour?

Government guidance often talks about the negative side of behaviour, saying that:

Where behaviour is poor, pupils can suffer from issues as diverse as lost learning time, child-on-child abuse, anxiety, bullying, violence, and distress. It can cause some children to stay away from school, missing vital learning time. Similarly,
continually dealing with misbehaviour negatively affects the wellbeing of teachers and, for some, it is a reason why they leave the profession.

Instead, it's helpful to think of it from a more positive angle. Lots of the schools have adopted Paul Dix's tenets of children being 'ready, respectful, and safe'. One of the key elements of his advice is for schools to focus on positive behaviour first.

We also want staff in schools to feel confident to be curious and inquisitive about children's behaviour, so that they can get to the root cause.

POLL 1 - How confident are you that your approach to behaviour is inclusive?

Behaviour data

Overall
There were 346,300 suspensions in the autumn term of 2023/24. This represents an increase of 98,900 compared to the previous autumn term, which had 247,400 suspensions. It is also higher than the pre-pandemic autumn term (2019/20), when there were 178,400 suspensions.

The rate of suspensions was 4.13, equivalent to 413 suspensions for every 10,000 pupils. This is higher than the previous autumn term when it was 2.96, and higher than autumn term 2019/20 rate of 2.17.

In autumn term 2023/24 there were 4,200 permanent exclusions, this is an increase of 1,100 compared to autumn term 2022/23 when there were 3,100. It is also higher than the pre-pandemic autumn term (2019/20) when there were 3,200 permanent exclusions.

The rate of permanent exclusions was 0.05, equivalent to 5 permanent exclusions for every 10,000 pupils. This is represents a very small increase over the 2022/23 and 2019/20 autumn terms when the rate was 0.04.

The most common reason for both suspensions and permanent exclusions was persistent disruptive behaviour. In autumn term 2023/24, persistent disruptive behaviour accounted for 50% of all reasons given for suspensions and 36% of reasons given for permanent exclusions.

Disadvantage

Pupils with SEN and FSM eligibility continue to have some of the highest rates of suspensions and permanent exclusions.

The rate of suspensions among pupils with an EHCP was 10.05, which is lower than the rate for those with SEN support at 11.27. In contrast, the rate for pupils with no identified SEN was 2.69. The gap in suspension rates between pupils with an EHC plan or SEN support and those with no identified SEN has been widening since the pandemic.

Additionally, pupils with SEN support experienced one of the highest rates of permanent exclusions at 0.16.

POLL 2 - Have you analysed the rate of suspensions and exclusions for children with
SEND?

What does the guidance say?

Last February, the government released updated, non-statutory guidance for how schools can support pupils to behave well.

Behaviour in Schools
Overall

The guidance emphasises that schools must adopt an inclusive approach to behaviour management, ensuring all pupils feel they belong in the school community. This involves:

1. A Whole-School Culture of High Expectations
• Schools should set clear behaviour expectations that apply to all students while making reasonable adjustments for those with additional needs.
• Staff should be trained to understand the needs of pupils with SEND and how these may affect behaviour.

2. Proactive and Individualised Support
• Schools must identify and address individual behaviour needs early.
• Strategies should be in place to prevent misbehaviour before it happens, particularly for pupils with known triggers.

3. Monitoring and Evaluating Behaviour Fairly
• Schools should track behaviour incidents to ensure no group (e.g., pupils with SEND) is disproportionately affected by disciplinary measures.
• If patterns of exclusions or removals emerge among SEND pupils, schools should review their behaviour management approaches.

4. Promoting Positive Relationships
• Schools should encourage dignity, kindness, and respect among all pupils.
• Staff should model positive behaviour and provide structured support where needed.

Overall, the guidance makes it clear that schools must strike a balance between maintaining high behaviour expectations and supporting pupils with SEND to thrive in an inclusive environment.

Our SEND support service includes training for staff to help them understand the needs of children with SEND and how staff can be proactive in supporting students so that they're able to regulate their emotions, attend and engage.
As part of our detailed SEND Reviews, we consider how effectively the culture of schools enables children with SEND to feel supported and a sense of belonging.

High Expectations with Adjustments
• Schools should maintain high behaviour expectations for all pupils, including those with SEND.
• They must make reasonable adjustments for children with disabilities to prevent substantial disadvantage, as required by the Equality Act 2010.
• Behaviour policies should anticipate likely triggers of misbehaviour and provide proactive support, such as:
o Allowing movement breaks for pupils with difficulties sitting still.
o Adjusting seating plans for visually or hearing-impaired pupils.
o Modifying uniform requirements for pupils with sensory issues.
o Providing staff training on specific SEND conditions like autism.

The Graduated Approach to Behaviour Management
• If a child with SEND displays challenging behaviour, schools should use the graduated approach (Assess, Plan, Do, Review) to assess the behaviour and implement appropriate interventions.
• Schools have a legal duty under the Children and Families Act 2014 to use their "best endeavours" to meet the needs of pupils with SEND.
• If a pupil has an Education, Health, and Care Plan (EHCP), the school must follow the provisions outlined in the plan.
There's a lot to take in there.
But, at the end of the day, we need to be assured that we're ready for Ofsted.

What do Ofsted say?

In previous Sofa Sessions, attendees were asked whether they thought Ofsted should have a specific focus on inclusion or continue to have it feature as a 'golden thread' throughout the other areas. The majority thought it should remain integrated. Well, now we have our answer: Ofsted have done both. Inclusion has it’s own area and it is a feature of other areas.

Behaviour and attitudes
Leaders establish high expectations for all pupils’ behaviour and attitudes to learning, including through the behaviour policy. Expert leadership creates a strong, shared culture of positive behaviour. The
school establishes strong and supportive relationships with pupils and their parents and carers. These result in positive behaviour and, where it is needed, marked improvements.

Inclusion
Leaders have established a culture in which all staff are highly vigilant in identifying pupils who may face barriers to their learning and/or well- being.

Leaders have a keen understanding of the barriers that individual pupils faceand tackle these swiftly and expertly. They systematically review adaptations,adjusting them as needed, so that they make a sustained difference to pupils’ learning and/or well-being.

How to be inclusive

A relational approach
Research shows that strong teacher–student relationships improve self-regulation, engagement, and lead to fewer exclusions.

A relational approach:
• Responds to our understanding of attachment and trauma,
• Recognises that many children may be anxious and stressed in a school environment,
• Accepts that children need to be supported to learn how to regulate their emotions and that co-regulation is a crucial part of this,
• Encourages adults to actively listen and be empathetic while maintaining and communicating clear boundaries.

Staff culture
A In his book, 'After the adults change', Paul Dix outlines how shifting the behaviour of adults - the visible culture of the school - leads to an increase in positive behaviour from students. The key elements to this are:
• Consistent, calm adult behaviour.
• Relentless routines.
• Scripting difficult interventions.
• Restorative follow-up.

When things go wrong: working with AP

Historically, AP was seen as separate to mainstream - children were sent to PRUs for their sixth-day provision and that's where it ended. The rhetoric now is very much that AP is a form of SEND provision; this was underscored by the title of the government's green paper: 'SEND and alternative provision improvement plan'.

The DfE's guidance on 'Arranging Alternative Provision', published in February 2025, states:

• ‘the majority of children and young people in alternative provision have some form of SEN’,
• alternative provision serves a distinct purpose that is different to special schools.
• placements into alternative provision should always be made with the child’s reintegration back into their mainstream or special school or into a sustained post16 destination in mind

The guidance refers to a 'continuum of support'. AP is a way to ensure all children and young people receive 'a suitable education'. We should be viewing AP as a feature of inclusive practice.

AP is often used by the most vulnerable students on roll. This could include students with SEND or those who simply find full-time mainstream education a challenge. This means placements are often highly specialised and very different to the traditional classroom.

A proactive model

Move away from 'repair and return':
• AP only used at crisis points
• Limited information sharing (off site, out of sight, out of mind)
• No staff visits
• Teaching staff not aware of what was happening

Instead, a proactive model features:

• Existing relationship with providers
• Understanding of the community – where is safe or realistic for your children
• Negotiate ongoing support following reintegration
• Clear success criteria
• Shared understanding of the support package
• Mapped the APs that schools are engaging with
• Continued TAC/TAF meetings

Agree a plan and process at the beginning of the placement that aims to reintegrate the child successfully back into their home school. Alternative provision can support early intervention in mainstream schools to improve school capacity and capability to respond to rising issues over behaviour, attendance, mental health or other needs.

Top tips: what do schools need to do?

• Analyse the behaviour data for your SEND cohort
• Ensure you have a holistic approach to analysing needs: leaders with responsibility
for behaviour (e.g., pastoral leads), SEND, attendance, mental health and
safeguarding should meet regularly
• Conduct behaviour-focused observations and feedback to staff what you saw
• Speak to students and parents

Additional Info

Judicium’s SEND Support Service provides regular training – both on-demand eLearning modules and online or in person sessions. We also offer bespoke training for schools and trusts as well as a frequent 'Live at 3:45s' on topics such as ADHD and how to write effective EHCPs.

See our upcoming training sessions here.

If you require any SEND support in any of these steps or would like to talk to someone surrounding our SEND Support Service for your school, please do not hesitate to call us on 0345 548 7000 or email georgina.decosta@judicium.com

You can follow us on Twitter: @JudiciumSG       @JudiciumEDU

If you’d like to review all of Judicium’s forthcoming sofa sessions please click here

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